" The next best thing to getting your friend so drunk he passes out, drawing a phallus in permanent ink on his cheek, and then eating his brain. "

      Title: Give Me the Brain (Special Edition) by Cheapass Games

      Format: Party Card Game

      Reviewing Monkey: Dungapult

      The Hype: People like zombies, and people like making fun of people who work in fast food joints, and so Cheapass has produced yet another tongue in cheek adventurette card game about the employees of a fast food chain in hell. Sound intriguing? Read on, my monkeys…read on.

      What This Monkey Thought...

      Playability: You have died. I'm sorry to be the one to break it to you, but it's true. You're dead and, as if that wasn't bad enough, you're in hell. To make matters worse, your punishment is to be a zombie employee in a fast food chain that will work you mindlessly for eternity. The good news, though, is that if you can finish all your jobs you can go home for the night-while the bad news is that there's only one brain to pass around between all the employees and you'll need it to do everything you need to.
          And thus give me the brain begins play. The concept, simply enough, is that you will be dealt a number of "Job" cards which will require one or two hands to accomplish. Each turn, you will be able to perform 2 hands worth of tasks and each task you perform lets you discard a card. The first person to discard all cards wins and gets to go home early. And since it would be boring if the game was that straight forward, there's the pesky problem of the brain to deal with. Certain jobs will require you to have it, and to get it you'll have to beg, borrow, or steal it from your fellow zombies.
          Play is fast and generally furious and definitely ends up being a hell of a lot of fun. There are a number of different screw your neighbor/screw yourself type of cards and they can be employed to some really raucous effects. Games typically last about 20 minutes and the only downside we found is that, as is common with all Cheapass games, there is the proverbial trump card which screws with everything but is insufficiently explained…and so can cause a bit of conflict around the table. That's okay, though- taking a cue from your playing icon you should just duel to the death with chainsaws to resolve the issue. 4.5 out of 5

      Aesthetics: The original version of the game was one of Cheapass' cheaper 1st generation games and came in a bag with the cards printed on construction paper. This special edition bumps the art up to wonderfully redrawn cartoon zombie color, changes the bag to a card box, and makes sure the set will last you for a long time. 4 out of 5

      Value vs. Cost: At $14.95 the game may be a bit more than you want to spend initially (I know I'm not the only one who thinks that 9.95 is the logical cut off for card games) but once you get your hands on it you won't be sorry you paid the extra few bucks. Give Me the Brain may end up being the ultimate "hall game" (for con geeks to play while lounging in hallways) and you'll play it time and time again. 3.75 out of 5

      The Verdict:

This game is a good time waiting to happen and no road trip or con bag should be without it. It's fun, light hearted, only takes a couple dozen minutes, and features zombies! What more do you need?

      The Good: It's fun, light hearted, only takes a couple dozen minutes, and features zombies! (hey, wait…didn't I just say that?)

      The Bad: A little pricey

      The Overall Ugly: The next best thing to getting your friend so drunk he passes out, drawing a phallus in permanent ink on his cheek, and then eating his brain.

      What it's Worth: Market